By This Name
By This Name is a great book to use when sharing the gospel with others. By the end of the book a person can understand the key truths of faith in Christ for salvation of sins and gain eternal life. John Cross clearly communicates the Gospel and how there are two ways to live, trusting in God and His promises to save you and make you right with Him or trusting self by doing or being “good,” which can never pay the sin debt.
Target Audience
Age: Teens and adults
All Worldviews: Engages those who adopt their own spirituality, making God out to be whatever they want. Also for those who think of God as an impersonal force or for those with post-modern, post-Christian and secular mindsets. Addresses questions arising from polytheism, pantheism, animism, agnosticism and atheism.
Architecture
Chronological: Begins with the creation of the universe and then, progressing sequentially through key Old Testament stories, moves into the New Testament to reveal the meaning of the cross and the tomb. The main story of the Bible is tied together into one universal, all-encompassing drama.
Sets apart the God of the Bible: Answers the question, “What makes your sacred book better than mine?” It addresses what makes the God of the Bible unique from all other gods or spirits.
Peels religious tradition off the Bible: Introduces readers to the Bible without the trappings of religion.
Objective: Allows the Bible to speak for itself in presenting the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no arm-twisting to believe. The message is presented objectively; the decision to believe or not to believe is left to the reader.
Based on the gospel of John: Uses the gospel of John as a template; at the same time, provides necessary background stories to give the gospel context. It assumes the reader knows very little, if anything, about the Bible.
By This Name is Good Seed’s premier resource that explains the Bible’s core message to people who have no knowledge about the Bible. Using the architecture of the gospel of John, the book clearly sets apart the God of the Bible from all other gods. It establishes the authority of Scripture and gently compares the biblical worldview to eastern worldviews. It ties together key Old and New Testament stories to reveal the identity of God and the nature of sin, with the aim to answer two questions: “Who is Jesus?” and “What is the story of the cross and the tomb all about?” It helps a person understand clearly what the Bible is all about.
